Legal Commentary

"Death by train is a particularly declaratory form of killing oneself. It makes the act a form of theater..."

In the past months in Britain, there has been a sort of low-humming cultural unease about suicides on the Tube, which are readily announced over station intercoms as the reason for delays, presumably to allay fears of terrorism. A movie in general release, Three and Out, attempted to turn this unease into dark comedy by portraying a hapless Tube driver who tries to exploit a (fictional) loophole in his contract that grants him early retirement if he witnesses three suicides from his train. The film misjudged the nation's mood and was savaged by film critics, mental-health workers and the train drivers' union....

Comedy movies about suicide.... Do they ever work? I can only think of one that I've seen, "La Grande Bouffe." A short clip:

Hilarious? That movie was critically praised back in 1973, but there was no jumping under trains. Everyone was eating himself to death. I forget why.

There's also "Harold and Maude," which I've never seen. It's supposedly life-affirming. I never had any interest in it. Also from the early 70s. Was suicide funnier then?

Oh, "suicide is painless... it brings on many changes..."

Have to include "M*A*S*H*" ? the Robert Altman movie with the great theme song, the lyrics of which were deleted for the TV show. That came out in 1970.

What was it about the 70s? The war? Or is suicide still considered a source of humor ? think this'll be funny? ? and I'm just not going to the movies too much anymore?

NOTE: Don't kill yourself!

Full post as published by Althouse on August 01, 2008 (boomark / email).